Border frame for spring assemblies



Nov. 4, 1941. w. w. GLEASON 2,261,531

BORDER FRAME FOR' SPRING ASSEMBLIES Filed April '7, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 4, '1941. w. w. GLEASON 2,261,581

BORDER FRAME FOR SPRING ASSEMBLIES Filed April '7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 4, 1941 I :3 p Q 1,58 1

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE Boimisn FRAME FOR, sPRiNG ASSEMBLIES I William WaGleason, Chicago, 111., assignor: to Nachman Springfillcd Corporation, Chicago,

111., a corporationof Illinois Application April 7, 1938, Serial No. 200,603 9 Claims. o1.5 2s2 The invention has for its object to provide a m I resilient border or reinforcing frame for spring assemblies of all types, which will maintain the spring assembly normally distended to prevent crowding and overlapping of the component springs thereof under the influence of the pressure of padding and cover fabrics of mattresses and cushions into which said spring assemblies are incorporated.

In spring-filled upholstery products, such as mattresses and loose cushions, the spring assembly, per se, is commonly covered with layers of padding and is then crowded into a preconstructed fabric casing which is open at only one end. fabric casing of themattress or cushion should be maintained as taut as possible in order to present a smooth, unwrinkled and unwrinkable surface. This necessitates the use of the'maximum amount of padding about the spring assembly which crowd the springs together, sometimes into overlapping position and where the overlapping cannot occur because of the manner in which the component springs of the assembly are secured to each other, a buckling of the assembly occurs which produces an uneven sup-' porting surface for the padding.

Numerous attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty by providing cross braces engaged with the border frames to prevent the latter from being distorted by the lateral pressures aforesaid, but these cross-braces are objectionable, first, because theyadd appreciably to the cost of the structure, and secondly, because, in many instances, they overlap the springs and prevent the natural action of the samewith respect to conforming themselves to the contours of the body supported by the mattress or cushion. p

To overcome this difilculty, I provide a resilient border wire frame which is normally of different shapethan the periphery or other contour of the spring assembly to which'it is applied and which is flexed into the normal shape of a border wire frame by securing the frame to the marginal springs of the: assembly. "'Ihe said frame thus is causedto exert a constant expanding stress upon the spring'assembly which maintains the latter firmly in its natural and normal shape'against the action of the crowding pressure hereinabove referred to, and further, performs other functions which will. be readily understood from and is explained in the following specificationz. In the accompanying "drawingsyisuitable em.-

It is obviously desirable that the outer bodiments of the invention are illustrated, wherem, Fig.' l is a plan .view of a conventional type of spring assembly showing the border frame in its normal condition disposed over the same but not secured thereto.

Fig.2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the border frame secured'to the marginal springs of the assembly wherein it is flexed to the normal shape of a border frame.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating another type of spring assembly wherein the border frame is disposed over the spring assembly in the manner of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 2 showing the spring assembly of Fig. 3 with border wire frame secured to the marginal springs in a manner differing from that. "of Fig 2. e Fig. 5 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2 showing a fabric encased spring assembly equipped with a border frame of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and which is maintained inits flexed condition, as exemplified in Figs. 2 and 4 by means of cross springs disposed over the top and bottom walls of the assembly.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 showing resil ierit wire stakes extending longitudinally and transverselyover the surface of the spring assembly and secured at their ends to the border frame;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a corner portion of a spring assembly equipped with a border frameof the type to which the invention relates, wherein the normal shape of the latter Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are fragmentary plan views illustrating modified types of embodiments of the invention. l f In carrying out the present invention, the border frame! is composed of highly resilient wire of appreciably lighter gauge than is commonly used in the production of border frames and which is normally shaped to a substantially rectangular form, but is equipped with outward- 1y bowed side and end rails and is also equipped with arcuate corner portions of appreciably longer radius than 'the corner springs of the spring assembly 2. Thus, the border frame I is normallypf larger diameters than the sp ring assembly and is diagonally shorter than the latter.

In applying the border frame I to the spring thereby the radius of the corner portions thereof is rendered equal or substantially equal to that of the corner springs of the assembly. While held in its flexed condition, as aforesaid, the border frame I is secured to the marginal springs of the assembly in any suitable manner, as for example, by means of the helical tie wire 3 shown in Fig. 2.

When so secured, the side and end rails of the border frame obviously tend to distend the spring assembly and maintain its predetermined dimensions against the crowding pressures hereinabove referred to.

A further advantage of the border frame I of this invention lies in the fact that in many in-v stances where means, such as the helical tie wires 4 are employed for coupling the springs with each other (as in the case of Fig. 2), the springs in many instances can move slightly laterally relatively to each other and this often occasions squeaking of the spring assembly under the influence of loads flexing the same and particularly in the case of spring assemblies incorporated into vehicle cushions. The border frame of the present invention takes up this lost motion between the springs and the tie wires and prevents any sliding action of one spring upon another thereof and thus overcomes the aforesaid squeaking.

In the instance of Fig. 3, the border frame is applied to the type of spring assembly illustrated and described in the patent to I-Ietherington No. 1,888,666 wherein the springs are coupled with each other by means of wire ties 5 which obviate any lost motion between contiguous springs. The border wire is applied in the same manner as in the case of Fig. 2, except that it is secured to the marginal springs by the wire ties B, as shown in Fig. 4.

This last-mentioned type of spring assembly is subject only to buckling'under the influence of crowding pressures above referred to, and the border wire frame overcomes this buckling very efficiently.

In Fig. 5, there is illustrated a type of spring assembly such as is illustrated and described in the Suekofi Patent No. 1,411,227, wherein the component springs are housed in the cells of a "fabric casing commonly made of burlap. The

border frame of the present invention may be applied advantageously to this type of spring assembly by securing the same to the marginal springs by means of stitchings I, or by other suitable fastening means, such as hog-nose rings, and when so applied the border frame will maintain the top and bottom fabric walls of the assembly distended and obviates the necessity of stitching the terminal coils of the springs to the top and bottom walls of the casing and to the partition walls within the same, as has been customary in order to prevent displacement of the springs as sometimes occurs in the use of the structure. due largely to stretching of the said top and bottom fabric walls and other causes. I

In applying the border frame I to this type of assembly, it has been found thatit exerts such a strong tension upon the said top and bottom fabric walls as to stretch the same appreciably, and thus renders the peripheral edges slightly arcuate. To overcome this difliculty'and to prevent crowding together of springs of the assembly into overlapping relation to each other, under the influence of pressure, as aforesaid, I employ flat springs 8 and 9 composed of resilient wires bent to zig-zag form, the springs 8 and 9 extending diametrically over the entire length and width respectively of the spring assembly and which are secured at their ends in any suitable manner to the middle portions of the rails of the border frame I. Said springs 8 and 9 are normally of less length than the diameter of the spring assembly and exert a constant tension on the border frame to prevent the latter from resuming its normal shape and thus exerting such tension on the spring assembly as would tend to expand it to cover an area greater than its normal predetermined minimum, which may occur easily in the types of spring assemblies illustrated in Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 9, respectively.

These zig-zag wire springs may be made of very small gauge and highly resilient wire, and will consequently yield readily to weight of load imposed upon the structure. The zig-zag wire springs 9 are secured at their inner ends to the middle of the rails of the border frame I to accomplish the same purpose as is accomplished by the spring 8, said springs 9 being normally shorter than the space spanned thereby.

In all instances the border frame I accomplishes the aforesaid desired results and constitutes a very cheap and effective means for accomplishing the results set forth.

The length of wire included in the border frame I is identical with that required for the conventional type of frame commonly used.

Obviously, the corner portions of the frame I when secured in place will tend to crowd inwardly, but in order to do so the side and end rails would necessarily have to be flexed outwardly and this is prevented by the means which secure the said side and end rails to the assembly.

In the structure of Fig. 6 illustrating the same type of spring assembly shown in Fig. 5, resilient wire stakes II) extending longitudinally and transversely over the top and bottom surf-aces of the assembly and are of respective lengths equal to the respective diametric dimensions of the assembly. These stakes are made preferably of a very small gauge wire and are disposed in tangential relation to the springs thereof and are secured at their ends to the end and side rails of the border frame between the corner portions of the latter. They are, preferably, also secured to the springs of the assembly by means of stitching II or other fastening devices and will prevent the border frame from stretching the top and bottom fabric walls without interfering in any way with the function of the frames, as the main purpose of the latter, in the instance of Figs. 5 and 6, is to prevent contraction of the spring assembly by means of flexing the side and end rails of the frame inwardly of the peripheral edges of the assembly.

In some instances it is desirable toshape the corner portions I2 of the border frames I3 to an arc of appreciably less radius than that of the corner springs of the assembly as shown in Fig. 7, it being obvious that in such instances the corner portions of the border frame will be normally of smaller radius than shown in Fig. 1, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '7.

As shown in Fig. 8, the corner portions I 4 of the border frame I5 may be bent to encompass the inner portions of the corner springs of the spring assembly, and, as shown in Fig. 9, the borde frame I6 may be disposed between the marginal springs of the assembly and the next inwardly disposed springs, the corner portions I! of the frame being projected outwardly to be secured to the innermost portions of the corner springs Hi. In this figure a conventional Marshall type assembly is illustrated, the frame to be equipped similarly to the structure of Figs. 5 and 6, selectively, with means for preventing the frame from distorting the spring assembly.

I claim as my invention:

1. A border frame for spring assemblies composed of a single piece of resilient wire shaped to present outwardly bowed side and end rails and arcuate corner portions of longer radius than the corner springs of the assembly, said frame being normally of less diagonal and greater diametric dimensions than the spring assembly and when flexed and secured to the marginal springs of the latter conforming with the peripheral contour of the latter, said frame, when so secured, exerting a constant distending stress upon said assembly for resisting lateral contracting pressures applied thereto.

2. A border frame for spring assemblies composed of a single piece of resilient wire equal in length to the perimeter of the spring assembly and shaped to present outwardly bowed side and end rails and arcuate corner portions of longer radius than the corner springs of the assembly, said frame being normally of less diagonal and greater diametric dimensions than the spring assembly and when flexed and secured to the marginal springs of the latter conforming with the peripheral contour of the latter, said frame, when so secured, exerting a constant distending stress upon said assembly for resisting lateral contracting pressures applied thereto.

3. A border frame for spring assemblies composed of a single piece of resilient wire equal in length to the perimeter of the spring assembly, said frame being normally of greater diametric and smaller diagonal dimensions than the said assembly and being flexed to correspond substantially in shape with the perimeter of the assembly and secured to the marginal springs of the assembly while maintained so flexed.

4. A border frame for spring assemblies composed of a single piece of resilient wire equal in length to the perimeter of the spring assembly, said frame being normally of greater diametric and smaller diagonal dimensions than the said assembly and presenting arcuate corner portions of longer radius than the corner springs of the assembly, said frame being flexed to correspond substantially in shape with the perimeter of the assembly and secured to the marginal springs mally of less diagonal and greater diametric dimensions than the spring assembly and when flexed and secured to the marginal springs of the latter conforming with the peripheral contour of the latter, said frame, when so secured, exerting a constant distending stress upon said assembly for resisting later contracting pressures applied thereto, the corner portions of said frame being arcuate and of ultimate radius smaller than before the same is secured to the spring assembly when flexed and secured to the latter.

6. A borde frame for spring assemblies composed of a single piece of resilient wire shaped to present outwardly bowed side and end rails and arcuate corner portions of longer radius than the corner springs of the assembly, said frame being normally of less diagonal and greater diametric dimensions than the spring assembly and when flexed and secured to the marginal springs of the latter conforming with the peripheral contour of the latter, and normally distended tension springs extending longitudinally and later ally over the top and bottom surfaces of the assembly and secured at their outer ends to the side and end rails of said frame at points between the corner portions thereof for additionally maintaining said frames bordering the upper and lower peripheral edges of the assembly flexed to correspond in shape substantially with the perimeter of the assembly.

7. A conventional spring assembly equipped with a border frame of resilient wire normally of larger diametric and smaller diagonal dimensions than the assembly secured to the outermost portions of the marginal springs of the latter in flexed condition wherein it conforms in shape and dimensions substantially with the perimeter of said assembly.

8. A conventional spring assembly capable of of being expanded to occupy greater than a pre-, determined area equipped with a border frame of resilient Wire normally of greater diametric andsmaller diagonal dimensions than said assembly and secured to the outermost portions of the marginal position in flexed condition wherein it is shaped to correspond substantially in shape with the normal peripheral shape of the assemiii) bly, and resilient devices secured at their ends to the side and end rails of the border frame between the corner portions thereof and extending diametrically of the latter for maintaining said border frame in its flexed shape independently of other means for accomplishing said purpose.

9. A conventional spring assembly equipped with a hoop-like member composed of resilient wire and normally presenting outwardly bowed side and end rails and secured to and held by marginal springs of the assembly in flexed condition wherein said slide and end rails are substantially straight, thereby to cause said frame to exert constant expanding force on said assembly.

WILLIAM W. GLEASON. 

